Distributor testing device



g 18, 1931- H. c. WOODBURY 1,819,312

DISTRIBUTOR TESTING DEVICE Filed June 5. 1929 INVENTOR.

WYQ M q nwy Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY C. WOODBURY, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTOR TESTING DEVICE Application filed .Tune 3, 1929.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application relates to distributor testing devices, and more particularly to a distributortesting device that is adapted for use in connection with distributors wherein the head of said distributor is formed with a plurality of exposed distributor terminals which extend in spaced alignment across the top of the distributor head, such as the type of distributor used on Ford automobiles.

An object of the invention is to provide a distributor testing device adapted for use in connection with distributors of the character set forth, which comprises a frame of insulating material adapted to be supported on the distributor head and removably attached thereto, wherein said frame is provided with a plurality of interconnected I resilient contacts for contacting with each of 20 the exposed terminals of said distributor, and wherein the means for attaching the device to the distributor head also functions to ground said contacts.

Another object of this inventionis to provide a distributor testing device which is highly useful and simple in construction. Facility of attachment, convenience of arrangement, lightness and comparative inexpense of manufacture are further objects which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the inventionlVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the distributor testing device showing the same as attached to a distributor head;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side sectional view of the device taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse end sectional view of the testing device taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters desig- Serial No. 368,138.

nate similar parts throughout, the various figures described above adequately illustrate my invention, and the following detailed description is commensurate with the above mentioned drawings in enabling an artisan to construct and assemble the constituent parts of the same.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a distributor testing device indicated as an entirety by the reference numeral 5, which device is adapted to be used in. connection with an automobile distributor indicated by the numeral 6. It will be seen that the distributor 6 is not the usual type of distributor as used on most makes of automobiles, but is a type that is designed for use and forms a part of the Ford automobile. This type of distributor differs from the usual make in that it is provided with a different form of distributor cap, indicated at 7 in the draw-, ings, which cap comprises a cylindrical body portion 8 having at its upper end two radial extending diametrically opposed integral arms 9 and 11, said arms being spaced slightly below the upper end of said body portion. It is to be noted that the distributor cap 7 is constructed entirely of insulating material such as bakelite. Spacedly' disposed in central alignment on the upper'surface of the arms 9 and 11 are a plurality of distributor terminals 12, there being four of said terminals for the four cylinders of the motor.

Wires 13 connect each of the terminals 12 to the proper spark plug in the motor. The distributor cap 7 is removably attached to the distributor 6 by means of resilient fasteners 14 which are hinged at their lower ends tothe distributor 6, as at 16, and are provided with hook shapedupper ends for engaging the upper end of the body portion 7, as at 17. There are two of the fasteners 14, they being disposed on opposite sides of the distributor 6 transversely of the arms 9 and 11.

The distributor testing device 5 consists of a block or frame 18 constructed of insulating material, such as bakelite or the like, and comprises a base 19 and a cover 21 which are similar in form and" of substantially equal size. The said cover and base each have a straight longitudinal rearward side 22 and an irregularly formed forward side 23 and transverse sides 24 and 26. The cover 21 is superimposed above the base 19 and is supported in spaced relation thereto by means of a continuous depending edge 27 extend ing downwardly at right angles to the plane of the cover 21 from the longitudinal side 22 and the transverse sides 24 and 26 thereof. Said edge 27 rests upon the base 19, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Screws 28 and 28 extend through the cover 21 and the base 19 and are threadedly engaged by nuts 29 for holding the said base and said cover secured r together.

Formed in the base 19, in a substantially central position therein, is a circular aperture 31, of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the body portion 8 of the distributor cap 7 so as to fit thereover and extending more than half way around toact as securing means, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A radial slot 32 extends from said circular aperture to the side 23 at right angles to said side. A similar slot 33 is formed in the cover 21 directly over the slot 32, and extends from the side 23 inwardly into the said cover, and terminates in a semi-circular end concentric with the circular aperture 31 in the base 19. Numeral 34 indicates an elongated metal plate which extends longitudinally of the frame 18, and is secured to the base 19 adj acent the rear side22 thereof by means of the screws 28. A plurali .y of spaced integral spring contact fingers 36 extend transversely from the-inner edge of the plate 34, forming an integral part of said plate and terminating in alignment with the center of the circular opening 31. Each of the contact fingers 36 is provided with a button 37 of insulating material which is secured to the free end of said finger by means of a round headed screw 38, the head of which serves as a contact point for said fingers. A plurality of apertures 39 are provided in the cover 21 for allowing the buttons 37 to project through said cover so that the same may be depressed by a persons finger. It will be seen that the fingers 36 are bent upwardly towards the cover 21 so that the buttons 37 are held so as to normally extendthrough the openings 39 in the manner shown in Fig. 2. I Formed in the base 19 are a plurality of further apertures'41 disposed directly under the openings 39 and in alignment therewith, the purpose of which openings will be hereinafter described.

. WVhen it is desired to test the distributor of an automobile, the distributor testing device 5 is placed over the distributor cap 7 in such a manner that the circular-aperture 31 in the base 19 fits over the upper end of said distributor cap in frictional engagement therewith. The device is positioned so that the terminals 12 on the arms 9 and 11 project through the apertures 41 in the base 19 in the manner shown in Fig. 2. The slot 33 in the cover 21 provides an opening through which the top of the distributor cap 7 may extend,

and also in conjunction with the slot 32 prothe fingers 36 to the engine of the automobile.

Said means comprises a relatively flat spring member 42 which is hingedly connected at one end, as at 43, t the metal plate 34 centrally of the ends thereof, and is provided with a hook 44 at its other end for engaging over the hinge 16 formed on the metal distributor 6 in the manner illustrated. The member 42, it will be seen, also functions as a fastener for securing the distributor testing device 5 to the distributor 6. It is to be particularly noted that when the device 5 is secured in position to the distributor 6 any of the sparkplug connections may be short circuited by an operator by merely depressing the desired button 37 with a finger of the hand, so that each connection may be tested without moving or readjusting the testing device 5.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details or construction thereof, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

1. A testing device for distributors having exposed distributor terminals, comprising a frame of insulating material adapted to be supported on said distributor, a plurality of spring contact fingers mounted on said frame, for contacting with said distributor terminals, and means for grounding said fingers.

2. A testing device for distributors having exposed distributor terminals, comprising a frame of insulating material adapted to be supported on said distributor, a plurality of interconnected spring contact fingers mounted on said frame, for contacting with said distributor terminals, and means for grounding said fingers.

3. A'testing device for distributors having a plurality of distributor terminals disposed in spaced alignment on the upper surface of the cap thereof, comprising a frame of insulating material adapted to be supported on said distributor cap above said terminals, a plurality of interconnected spring contact fingers mounted on said frame in spaced relation, for contacting with said terminals, and means for fastening said frame to said distributor and connected to said fingers for grounding the same.

4. A testing device for distributors having a plurality of distributor terminals disposed in spaced alignment on the upper surface of' the cap thereof, comprising a frame of insulating material having a recess therein for mounting the same on said distributor cap above said terminals, a plurality of interconnected spring contact fingers spacedly mounted in a recess in said frame, for contacting with said terminals, and means for grounding said contact fingers.

5. A testing device for distributors having exposed distributor terminals disposed in spaced alignment on the upper surface of the cap thereof, comprising a frame of insulating material having a recess therein for mounting the same on said distributor cap abot e said terminals and having a plurality of spacedly aligned apertures for receiving said distributor terminals, a plurality of interconnected spring contact fingers spacedly mounted in a recess in said frame so as to project above said apertures, for contacting With said terminals, and means for grounding said contact fingers.

6. A testing device for distributors having exposed distributor terminals disposed in spaced alignment on the upper surface of the cap thereof, comprising a frame of insulating material having a recess therein for mounting the same on said distributor cap above said terminal and having a plurality of spacedly aligned apertures for receiving said distributor terminals, a plurality of grounded interconnected spring contact fingers, spacedly mounted in a recess in said frame so as to project above said apertures, for contacting with said terminals, and means for fastenin said frame to said distributor.

A testing device for distributors having exposed distributor terminals disposed in spaced alignment on the upper surface of the cap thereof, comprising a frame of insulating material having a central recess therein for mounting the same on said distributor cap above said terminals, and having a plurality of spacedly aligned apertures for receiving said distributor terminals, a metal plate mounted in a recess in said frame and having a plurality of spaced spring contact fingers extending therefrom so as to project nature.

HENRY C. WOODBURY. 

